Shadows and Secrets
by WizardsGirl
Summary: Harry should have known better than to touch anything that appeared on his desk in the DoM. Now he's facing the consequences. Canon Typical Violence, Messing with the Timeline, OOC ppl, OCs, AU, I only read the first series of Warriors, so using Warriors Wiki for reference. Q&A at the top of the next chapter every chapter!
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Sorry about yet another fic. I spent the weekend resting at a cousins house and hiding from my packing, and his girlfriends kids are obsessed with the Warriors series (I only read the first one, I need to read it again and then the next ones, but yeah). This grew in my brain like a fungus, so here you go.

**Q&A will be at the top of each chapter.**

**Shadows and Secrets**

**By: WizardsGirl**

_**Prologue**_

The Department of Mysteries was a dangerous place, with many magical objects and enchanted items everywhere you looked. As such, there was a reason only those who were qualified were allowed there, the Unspeakables…

Of course, just because you're qualified, doesn't mean accidents can't happen.

"What in Merlin's name is this doing here?" one unsuspecting Unspeakable demanded as his bright green eyes stared at the stuffed cat toy sitting on his Desk. His partner snickered, honey-brown eyes amused as she watched him poke the innocent-looking plushy with his letter-opener.

"Oh, lighten up, Harry," she admonished him, smiling faintly. "It looks like Ginny hasn't given up on snagging you yet." The black-haired Unspeakable sent his long-time best friend a dirty look.

"Shut up, Hermione," he complained, making her laugh some more. Finally, reluctantly, he picked the stuffed cat up with his gloved left hand, his right hand usually left bare as that was his wand hand, and it rarely, if ever, came in contact with anything that could harm it. The toy was rather realistic, a calico colored kitten with green eyes and slit pupils. All it lacked was the animation spells Wizarding toymakers usually applied to their creations. No, this seemed to be just a simple, Muggle toy. With that thought in mind, Harry lifted it closer to his uncovered green eyes (glasses were a hazard in a field where a moments hesitation to adjust them could mean an explosion of some kind. The Head Unspeakable had fixed his vision within the first three hours of him being hired.).

"You know," He said, moving to hold it with both hands, smiling slightly in amusement. "It's kind of cute-" Magic roared from the toy and enveloped the Unspeakable with gray-green light, before vanishing, the cat-toy falling to the ground and bouncing silently. Hermione cursed violently and lunged to her feet, smacking the Cursed Object Attack Alarm, and holding her wand on the plushy.

Hours of experimentation and research later, and they still weren't sure what the plushy was, exactly. And, after all that time, when a volunteer was finally allowed to touch it, nothing happened. It was just a normal plushy once more. The only reason they knew that Harry was still alive, was because his Statue, a small replica of Harry himself, hadn't broken. It _had_, however, transformed into a small cat, much to the horror and amusement of his colleagues. Hermione, as his partner and best friend, was given vigilance over his Statue, to watch for any change, and it sat on her desk, right between a picture of the Golden Trio in their First Year and a picture of the three of them fully grown, Hermione and Harry in their Unspeakable robes, and Ron in his Auror robes.

It sat there for many years, long after Hermione had died, being watched over by her descendants and their descendants, until the last of Magic left the world. And still, it didn't crumble.

**A/N:** There you go. YES I love the Unspeakable-Harry-has-an-accident fics, okay? Sue me (don't, please don't, I love you all, don't hurt me…)

ALSO I now live in Niles, Michigan~! Just finished moving while writing this fic (actually, the two chapters after this one, but those need to be beta-read and fiddled with...)

_**R&R!**_


	2. Chapter One

**A/N:** I am messing just a bit with the Timeline, and there will be some OC Cats, but otherwise, I'm attempting to stay true to the TL, though I haven't gotten to read Bluestar's Prophesy or anything but the First Series (With Firepaw/Fireheart/Rusty), but may twiddle with some things, kay? Just a forewarning!

No one's done this, yet, so, there's another First Time Point for me~!

Here's the next chapter! I hope you like it!

**Q&A**

**Q: Is Harry a Boy or Girl in this one?**

A: A boy

**Q: Is Harry Gay or Straight in this one?**

A: Leaning towards straight, but it's not likely he'll be getting a Mate in this, i don't know, I'm considering.

**Q: Since the Statue didn't crumble, is Harry blessed by StarClan?**

A: In a way, I suppose. But is it a Blessing or a Curse, I wonder?

**OoOoO**

**Shadows and Secrets **

**By: WizardsGirl**

**_Chapter One_**

Harry woke up cold and wet, the roar of thunder deafening him, and curled into a tighter ball, shuddering at the pain echoing dully in his muscles. Lightening flashed beyond his closed eyelids, and he whimpered and forced them open, shuddering as he found himself lying in a pool pf water. Turning his head weakly, he took in his changed body with a grimace of annoyed distaste. He was a cat. Not even a cat, but a _kitten_, with calico fur and a skinny, raggedy little body that looked like it was a few pounds short of starving. Groaning, Harry heaved himself to his paws and staggered out of the puddle, blinking away the rain and marveling briefly at the unique sensation of his ears pinning to his head, before pushing his way through the downpour.

He soon found himself at a road, and thanked Merlin that the rain seemed to have all but the busiest of drivers from being outside. He darted across the wide stretch of blacktop and into the thicket of the forest on the other side, gratefully taking shelter in the roots of a tree, shuddering in the cold and mud, exhaustion pulling once more at his consciousness. Once he had made sure that he wouldn't drown or get eaten by something that was looking for shelter as well, he allowed himself to doze, slipping into a deep sleep without meaning to.

His dreams were filled with the whispers of cats that had died, their curiosity and stories and warnings flooding him as he watched their see-through bodies move with the stars themselves. He met cats from every walk of life, it seemed, though most of them were from "Clans". ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan, though some of the oldest whispered of memories fading about the fifth Clan, SkyClan. He listened to tales of Border Wars, Hunting accidents, murder, rats, dogs, the "Thunder Path" which he found out was the name they had for the Road. He learned secrets, stories, and Codes.

When he woke to sunlight slanting across the dirt in front of his resting place, his head swarmed with knowledge and names and deeds long past, and it was because of that, that he knew he was trespassing in ThunderClan territory, and that the unhappy marshland he had come from was ShadowClan territory. Grimacing, he pulled himself weakly from under the tree, grimacing at the mud that caked his tiny form. There was no time to wash now, though. He was in trouble, and his nose, filled as it was with the strong scent of mud and rain, was practically useless at the moment.

After a difficult time trying to remember which way he'd come from, he eventually made his way back to the road. Before he could cross, however, he had to quickly hide in some bushes as a group of cats appeared a good twenty feet away. The group seemed to be a patrol, three Warriors and an Apprentice. Two of the Warriors were toms, while the third and the Apprentice were both she-cats. The Apprentice was a blue-gray color, while the she-cat Warrior was all white with a black tail-tip and right ear. One of the toms was orange-and-white splotched, and large, while the other was an equally large, bright ginger, long-furred fellow with sharp yellow eyes and a torn ear. They were crouched eyes roving and ears twitching alertly, and the she-cat seemed to be telling the Apprentice something.

The two toms, drifted farther down the ditch, the she-cat soon cautiously following them, and then the Apprentice, who seemed to be staring at the Thunder Path with trepidation. Harry followed them cautiously, sticking to the shadows and using his mud-covered form to blend in until he managed to get rather close to the other cats, especially the Apprentice.

A car was coming down the road when the Apprentice got distracted by a large grasshopper landing on her head, making her flinch and scrabble at it with her paws. Harry's eyes widened as he saw the cruel look on the drivers face.

"Bluepaw, look out!" The she-cat Warrior yowled, but it would be too late.

Harry didn't remember moving, but he was and, suddenly, he was leaping through the air, forepaws wrapping around the startled, frozen form of the Apprentice, and the two of them were rolling into the ditch, barely missing the tires of the swerving car. Their momentum tore them from each other, with the Apprentice, Bluepaw, sprawling dazedly on the ground, and the much smaller form of Harry bouncing into a thorn-bush.

"Ow, ow, ow, _ow_," he hissed, struggling and trying to pull himself out of the bush, only to find himself getting even more tangled, and having to just still, or else shred himself. He pinned his ears back unhappily, muttering under his breath, nasty things about the thorn bushes Queen.

"Be calm, kit," the orange-and-white Warrior meowed as he appeared, making Harry wince as he instinctively shrank back. The Warrior leaned close, sniffing him, and Harry hissed automatically. The tom reared back, amber eyes wide with surprise, before narrowing as he growled.

"What is a ShadowClan kit doing in ThunderClan territory?" He hissed; Harry began to struggle, fear creeping up his back, adrenalin making it easy to ignore the painful tug of thorns, the rip of flesh as his ear was torn as he began to thrash.

"Firebreeze! Stop terrifying the kit, or he'll kill himself trying to flee!" The she-cat Warrior yowled, whapping the tom over the head angrily as she appeared at the Thorn bushes opening, Bluepaw at her side. "Sunfall has gone to tell Featherwhisker that he'll have an injured kit to look after when we get back."

"He's a ShadowClan kit!" The tom yowled back, tail lashing; Harry had almost struggled free of the thorns, the last few vines entrapping his legs starting to give under his thrashing, unconscious mews and meows leaving him as he fought through the pain.

"He's a _kit_ and look at what you've done now! You've frightened him out of his fur, poor thing," the she-cat hissed, glaring at the tom, before making her way around the bush to Harry's back, stretching forward to grab his muddy, bloody scruff in her teeth. Instantly, Harry froze, body instinctively curling. Bluepaw appeared in the corner of his eye, and together, the two she-cat's untangled and pulled his legs and body from the thorns, until the she-cat was holding him well above the ground. The tom growled angrily.

"Whiteflower, your soft heart is going to get you killed one day," he meowed; the she-cat ignored him, and led the way into the trees, Bluepaw padding beside her and Firebreeze bringing up the rear.

"He's so small," Bluepaw mewed, eyes wide and whiskers quivering. "And he's wet and muddy. Do you think he was out in the storm last night, Whiteflower?"

"Probably," the she-cat meowed easily, leaping over a stray log absently, careful of Harry who swayed with the movement. "He's also very, very light. I've caught vole's who've been heavier." Several more minutes of running passed, before the cats slowed and then entered a clearing, passing two Warriors that were guarding the entrance.

Soon after entering, Whiteflower carried Harry towards a pale silver tom with bright amber eyes, long feathery whiskers, and a sweeping, plumy tail.

"This way, this way," the cat meowed, leading them into a den, past a sleeping plump, speckled gray tom, whose clumped, shaggy, thick fur looked dull in the sunlight, frazzled whiskers, ragged ears, and shaggy paws all twitching, mouth open slightly to show off yellow teeth. Harry barely managed to take that much detail in (mostly thanks to his training as an Unspeakable) before they are entering the den, and he is being gently placed on a pile of moss.

His first instinct is to lunge for the doorway but, behind Whiteflower and Bluepaw, he can see the still-agitated form of Firebreeze, and he had no wish to tangle with the obviously prejudiced tom, so he reluctantly settled and turned his attention to the puttering silver cat.

"Let's see, let's see," he mewed, before moving to Harry and peering at him with his sharp amber eyes. "Well, let's get you cleaned up and see what the damage is, yes?" It took several minutes, with the help of Whiteflower and Bluepaw, for all the mud to be cleaned from Harry's fur, exposing his calico coloring, a rare thing, the silver tom informed them, since most calico were she-cats.

"Well, you're horribly skinny," the medicine-cat meowed, poking Harry's sides, getting a hiss and a swipe from the cranky kitten. "And you've torn your ear and gotten yourself scratched up like any Apprentice after a fight with rats… Here," he mewed, dropping a few purplish-blue berries in front of the wary kit. "Juniper berries, for strength and the stomachache you're no doubt feeling." Harry hesitated, but his stomach really did hurt, now that he thought about it, so he reluctantly gave in, eating the surprisingly sweet berries as the medicine-cat applied cobwebs to his many cuts and his ear, something which would apparently stop the bleeding and bind the wounds. As he finished the berries, however, he began to calm down, and, when the silver tom offered him small, black poppy seeds, he ate them without complaint, and soon fell fast asleep, curled up on the moss bed in the medicine-cat's den.

"Let's leave him to sleep for a bit," the silver tom mewed, nudging the she-cat's from his den, outside where Goosefeather, the sleeping tom, had disappeared, no doubt to gather more "herbs", though it was an unspoken agreement from everyone that he was just going to find another place to sleep.

"How is he, really, Featherwhisker?" Whiteflower meowed quietly as Clan Deputy Sunfall, Firebreeze, and the ThunderClan Leader, Pinestar, joined them.

"I am surprised he's lived this long, honestly," the, technically, apprentice medicine-cat informed them honestly. "He hasn't eaten in at least a week, and then sparingly. If he was an approved ShadowClan kit, his Dam must have died, and the Queen they gave him with must have either been providing next to know milk, or disliked him. It's my opinion, however, that he's more likely a Half-Clan kit, and that his Dam is either dead or a kittypet." They all took this in for a few moments, before Featherwhisker continued.

"I also think he was left for dead in the storm, last night," he informed them calmly. "From the chills that have started to set in, he's been soaked with rain and mud for at least that long. He's going to need rest and food, and quite a bit of it. He's not quite old enough to be off his milk, either, so placing him with a willing Queen is a must."

"It will be done," Pinestar meowed solemnly, tone brooking no argument, and Sunfall took that duty upon himself, leaving to ask Willowfur is she would mind the extra mouth, as she had three newborns to contend with already.

"He'll need careful watching for a while," Featherwhisker informed his leader quietly. "He is alone, with bad experience when it comes to non-kin cats, and in enemy territory at that. He may try to run." Pinestar nodded seriously, and turned to Firebreeze.

"You and Flamesnow are to watch him for the next few days, Firebreeze," he ordered; the Warrior bobbed his head in acceptance, and moved off to find his brother to tell him of their orders. "Whiteflower, Bluepaw, you did a good job today."

"But I almost got hit by a Twoleg Monster," Bluepaw meowed, startled. "If that kit hadn't hit me, I might have been killed!" Pinestar nodded calmly.

"But he chose to save your life, and you chose to repay him with kindness. Keep doing that, and you'll be just fine," the leader meowed, nodding at the two before turning and padding away.

"You know," Whiteflower mewed softly as the two she-cats watched the tom pad away, "sometimes I find that cat very strange." Bluepaw didn't say anything, though she silently agreed. "Well, come on, Bluepaw. Let's get something to eat before all the decent prey is gone!" Whiteflower purred, before leading the Apprentice towards the fresh kill pile. Bluepaw couldn't help but wish, as she followed the strong, beautiful she-cat, that Whiteflower was her mentor instead of Deputy Sunfall, but put those thoughts aside to instead think of the nice vole she had picked, and of the strange ShadowClan kit that was sleeping in the medicine-cat den.

**A/N:** There we go, chapter finished! I feel bad adding all these OC cats into the Timeline, but I TRIED to find Queens that were giving birth at that time (and got confused doing so), as well as Warriors that weren't main characters, but not quickly-dead characters either, you know? So, I created some, and used what I've read off of Warriors Wiki in order to fill Personality gaps as much as possible…

Unfortunately, Warriors Wiki doesn't have a clear timeline for everything, so things may be off until I can manage to get a hold of Bluestar's Prophesy…

_**R&R!**_


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N:** And here's the next chapter!

**Q&A**

**Q: Are you going to Time-skip Harry's Kittenhood and just hit important parts of his life?**

A: A little bit, yes, which will be evident in this chapter (sorry if it seems rushed and/or summary-like)

**Q: Is he immortal, or is it like regeneration almost, where he dies, then his body heals, and then he wakes up?**

A: Unfortunately, answering this question in a satisfactory way would be a major spoiler, so I'll have to go with Harry Will Find Out, Eventually, and tell you all that Harry wasn't Immortal BEFORE being transformed, so there you go with that.

**Q: Can he still use magic, or has it become an ability, like Empathy or being a Seer?**

A: A bit of both, actually. Again, this is one of those Spoiler questions. Harry Will Find Out, Eventually (And so will you, so there you go~)

**Q: Is he going to be a Messenger from StarClan?**

A: Well, he will be sometimes, but he believes discretion is the better part of Valor, and hiding exactly how different he is from the other cats is important to him.

**OoOoO**

**Shadows & Secrets **

**By: WizardsGirl**

_**Chapter Two**_

Harry's life became slightly monotonous after the excitement of his first day. His mornings and evenings tended to revolve around Willowfur, a black she-cat with gray speckles, and her three newborn kits (two toms and a she-cat, all black, though one of the toms had a white chest and paws), named Mousekit (the she-cat), Darkkit (the all black tom), and Woodkit (the white-pawed tom). Harry, whom the Queen had started calling Stormkit, found himself endeared by the three tiny, wriggling things, and watched them quietly when Willowfur napped. The Queen treated him like he was one of her litter, and Harry found himself feeling shy around the Queen.

Whenever he wasn't in the den with Willowfur, however, he was under the sharp eyes of Firebreeze and his twin brother, Flamesnow, the two Warriors stalking his shadow like he was going to attack or run off if they took a second to blink. It was slightly nerve-raking and so Harry spent a lot of time with Willowfur and the kits, or with the elders (spending quite a bit of time with a recently retired gray tom named Stonepelt, who had actually been Bluepaw's mentor before being badly wounded along his left shoulder in a battle, and forced into early retirement.

As he regained weight and his wounds healed, Harry grew rather accustomed to the ThunderClan, though the dreams where StarClan taught him things and spoke to him happened on and off again. It was a mixture of confusion and self-preservation that kept him from mentioning those dreams, because it was his experience that society treated those different with prejudice. So, he kept quiet, and focused on healing and learning and growing.

As his denmates grew, he ventured out amongst the Clan more often. He spoke often with Bluepaw and her sister, Snowpaw. He learned of Gatherings and listened to the Elders when they told of past battles. When they complained of ticks or fleas, he personally would go and tell Featherwhisker, though sometimes he would talk to Goosefeather (the blue-eyed, shaggy medicine-cat unnerved him, however, for he tended to be rather pessimistic and twisty with his words. And he always _stared_ at Harry whenever he was near.

By the time the next Gathering was closing in, Harry was old enough to gain a new name. His ceremony wasn't much of a fanfare for him, but he celebrated it with newly named Lionpaw and Goldenpaw, two cats he hadn't had much interaction with before. Goldenpaw (a sleek, pale ginger tabby she-cat, with yellow eyes) had a tendency to complain, while Lionpaw, her brother (a large, broad shouldered, pale golden-brown tabby tom, named for his thick, mane-like neck fur, with kind green eyes) was a rather cheerful, kindhearted tom. Goldenpaw got a she-cat named Dappletail as her mentor; Lionpaw got she-cat named Swiftbreeze. Harry's (now Stormpaw) own mentor was Flamesnow, which was a curse and blessing for the calico cat. Flamesnow was not nearly as sharp with the newly-made Apprentice as his brother, Firebreeze had been when guarding him, but he was still a stern, observant tom.

He's surprised, however, when Flamesnow turns out to be a decent tutor.

"Come with me, Stormpaw," Flamesnow ordered early the morning after Harry was named his Apprentice, dragging the groggy calico from the Apprentice den without preamble (and Harry was bemused to learn that he was supposed to have spent time living in the Nursery with his fellow kits, but his being from ShadowClan made the other cats keep him separated. Now that he had moved into the Apprentice den, Mousekit, Darkkit, and Woodkit had all been moved into the Nursery with the others.). The orange-and-white tom led Harry through the entrance to the Clan camp (as Harry called it) and into the surrounding forest, pace unhurried and ears twitching with vigilance as Harry yawned sleepily and trotted obediently after his mentor. When they reached a fallen log a good ways away from the camp, Flamesnow leapt onto it and gestured with his tail for Harry to join him, which he did.

"What is the Warrior Code?" the tom meowed simply; Harry blinked.

"Er…" Flamesnow nodded, green eyes keen and intelligent.

"I thought as much," he stated, curling his fluffy tail around his paws, Harry attempting to mimic him with his own, much-less-fluffy, tail. "Since you're life began badly, and you switched Clans at such a young age, the likelihood of your learning or even remembering the Warrior Code was small. So, as your mentor, I will teach you what you've agreed to in becoming an Apprentice to ThunderClan. Understand?" Harry bobbed his head in agreement, green eyes locked onto his mentor without complaint, focused and listening, ears pricked.

"These are the Code," Flamesnow meowed steadily. "One: Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats in other Clans, but your loyalty must always remain with your Clan, for one day you may meet those friends in battle, and there you can afford no hesitance." Harry nodded quietly.

"Two: Do not hunt or trespass in another Clan's territory," Flamesnow continued. "Three: Elders, Queens, and Kits must be fed before Apprentices and Warriors. Unless they have permission, Apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the Elders. If a Warrior or Apprentice is sick or injured, then they may eat with the Elders, Queens, and Kits." Harry nodded yet again, memorizing and agreeing with the Codes thus far.

"Four: Prey must be killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to StarClan for its life. Five: A kit must be at least six moons old to become an Apprentice." Harry frowned, tilting his head slightly.

"Am I that old, then?" He asked, confused. "I never knew…" Flamesnow frowned darkly and growled something unpleasant about ShadowClan under his whiskers, but nodded at Harry's question.

"Six," the tom moved on, and Harry refocused. "Newly appointed Warriors will keep vigil for one night after receiving their Warrior Name. Seven: A cat cannot be named Deputy unless they have mentored at least one Apprentice. Eight: The Deputy will become Clan Leader when the Leader dies, retires, or is exiled. Nine: After the death or retirement of the Deputy, a new Deputy must be chosen before Moonhigh." Harry realized that these last few Codes were for older cats, but memorized them anyway, so that he wouldn't be as confused later on.

"Ten: A Gathering of all four Clans will be held at the full moon during a truce that will last for the night. No fighting is permitted amongst Clans at this time. Eleven: Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassers. Twelve: No Warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if that kit is from another Clan." Here, Flamesnow gave Harry a meaningful look, and the calico Apprentice bobbed his head with a respectful gratitude in his eyes. The mentor continued as if nothing had happened. "Thirteen: The word of the Clan Leader is Law. Fourteen: An Honorable Warrior does not need to kill other cats to win his/her battles, unless they are outside the Warrior Code or if it is necessary for self-defense. These are what make up the Warrior Code, though you will learn, Stormpaw, that there are many unwritten Laws as well." Harry winced slightly; Flamesnow lifted his whiskers in amusement.

"Medicine-cats may not have a mate or kits. Kits must stay in the camp until they become Apprentices, and are not permitted to hunt. The Safety of the Clan is more important than the safety of any one cat. Clans are not to unite in order to drive out another Clan. Clans must not force another Clan to share territory. Enemy patrols must not attack cats if they are on a mission all Clans agree on. There will be others as the moons pass, no doubt, but those are the important ones now." He leapt from the log, and Stormpaw leapt quickly after him, padding up to walk beside the much-larger tom as the started to slowly make their way through the forest.

"While we Warriors swear to always uphold the Code, it still gets broken often, by every Clan. ThunderClan, believe it or not, is the Clan where the Code is questioned and debated the most." Whiskers up in amusement, Flamesnow led Stormpaw around a bush of Deathberries with a brief warning not to eat them, before continuing with his lesson. "The Leader of the Clan decides punishment for breaking the Code, which can be anything from a simple scolding, giving a Warrior Apprentice duties, or giving an Apprentice and unpleasant task, to Exile from the Clan. When you murder or cause pain for no good reason, instead of joining StarClan when you die, your spirit is sent to The Place of No Stars, to travel in the Dark until the end of all ends." Harry listened and learned, and so, when Flamesnow started telling him about the many different Prey ThunderClan cats had access to, and the best way to catch them, he was already in the proper mindset to take in and store all the information.

An hour or two were spent hunting with Snowpaw and Goldenpaw, and though Harry only caught two Vole compared to Snowpaw's squirrel and Goldenpaw's crow, he still felt accomplished, especially when Flamesnow congratulated him and encouraged him to take his kills straight to Willowfur and one of the elders. His days continued like this, learning to fight, and hunt, and patrol with his fellow Apprentices and Mentor.

However, when Goosefeather predicted an attack from WindClan from the way the wind flattened the fur on a vole… Dread settled into Harry's stomach, and he watched as Pinestar and Sunfall conversed seriously, soon joined by other Warriors. To keep busy and keep from eavesdropping (though he felt he already knew what they were discussing, in the way his claws caught the grass, the wind threw the steadily browning leaves, and the call of birds in the forest), Harry took it upon himself to assist Featherwhisker with tending to the needs of the Elders, though his gaze would anxiously edge to the "War Council" at the foot of the High Rock.

"I think you're going to need to inventory your supplies, Featherwhisker," he meowed to the silver medicine-cat softly. "Battle darkens the horizon." The other tom just nodded, face set in stern, thin lines and his usual teasing cut down dramatically.

"We need to hit their medicine supplies," Goosefeather meowed clearly, and Harry stilled, pinning his ears back unhappily even as he continued to carefully dab the mouse-bile soaked moss onto the ticks that dotted Pinethistle's back, the tabby she-cat purring happily as he did so. "It is the only way we can destroy them; I have Seen this." The battle plans continue, until, over the din of many cats, Pinestar finally announces the plan.

"We will attack at sunup," he meowed; the Warriors yowled their agreement, and Harry hunched down even more, eyes distressed and ears pinned back.

"This does not bode well," he meowed darkly, and returned to applying the mouse bile when the near-deaf Elder meowed questioningly at him.

They ran to war the next morning, and his dreams were red with the blood of the fallen, and the cries of cats as they rose to join StarClan before their time.

**A/N:** I know this one seems pretty rushed, but I needed to write it and I decided that everyone needed to hear the Warrior Codes (because, seriously, when do they actually come up in most Warrior fics, and are explained?).

And yes, I know there are fifteen, but the fifteenth wasn't implemented until after Pinestar did what he did, so it doesn't really count yet.

_**R&R!**_


	4. Chapter Three

**A/N:** Again, messing a bit with the Timelines, so, ignore that.

BATTLE SCENE WHOOOOT~! (Rather un-detailed, actually, but still, it's there!)

Enjoy the chapter!

**Q&A**

**Q: Do the Hallows play any part in this story?**

A: Not as far as I can see, though that may change as my Muses wish.

**SPECIAL THANKS TO _Green Eyes and Glassess_ WHO HELPED BETA THIS CHAPTER AND HAS BEEN HELPFULLY CHATTING WITH ME ABOUT THE AWESOMENESS THAT IS WARRIORS.  
**

**OoOoO**

**Shadows & Secrets **

**By: WizardsGirl**

_**Chapter Three**_

The sun rose and the forest awoke, the animals that lived there scurrying about without a care even as the ThunderClan prepared for War. Apprentices had spent the previous evening rushing about and gathering medical supplies for Featherwhisker and Goosefeather, while Warriors hunted for extra fresh-kill and got their blood moving. Now the day had arrived, and a heavy tension coiled around the cats as those who would fight slipped through the Gorse Tunnel that was the only safe way into the ThunderClan Camp, where it sat in it's dried riverbed.

The travel through the forest was quiet and nerve-wracking, and Harry kept an eye on his fellow Apprentices as they slunk through the undergrowth and across a rotted log that had, thankfully, gotten caught on some rocks the night before (or, perhaps _not_ thankfully, as it had gotten there with the help of Sunfall and Firebreeze). The large group continued, carefully passing through neutral territory and passed the Gathering Place known as Fourtrees. The sun was slowly getting higher when they paused, briefly, to drink from a slim stream and prepare themselves for the fight ahead. They had not left their Camp unprotected, however. Two Apprentices Harry had yet to get truly acquainted with (Leopardpaw and Patchpaw) had stayed behind with four Warriors to guard the Queens, Kits, and Elders while the rest of the Clan went to battle. Harry shivered in the morning air, dew dampening his white/orange/black/brown fur and making the shaggy mess flatten, much like his ears wanted to.

Whispers from StarClan brushed his conscious, and he knew there would be blood and death on both sides that day, though how much he did not know.

The WindClan camp was in a sandy hollow, surrounded by gorse, and the entrance was through a gorse tunnel, just like the ThunderClan camp's, a fact that gave Harry a twinge of regret because it just showed that the two Clans had things in common that this battle could destroy. The Calico Apprentice was with Flamesnow, though he'd been informed he wasn't to fight. Instead, he and the other Apprentices were to be messengers, and was only allowed to enter the fray in order to reach injured ThunderClan cats, or to defend themselves from attack.

Goldenpaw, Lionpaw, Bluepaw, and Snowpaw were nearby, each of them huddling near their respective Mentors. Bluepaw and Snowpaws mother, Moonflower, was near the front of the pack, occasionally glancing back to check on her daughters. When they were about three fox-lengths from the opening of the Gorse Tunnel, Harry and the other Apprentices grouped together silently, whiskers quivering, mouths open to take in scents better, muscles tense and twitch as the Warriors slid with all the stealth of true forest cats, towards the enemies front door, slinking through the prairie grass.

Pinestar sounded the call for attack, his yowl echoing through the air as a high screech, and the Warriors charged in with snarling yowls and hisses as the Apprentices were left a bit behind, slowly slinking in after their Clan. Harry bit back a shudder as the yowls and screeches of battling cats filled the air, fur and blood flying. Toms and She-Cats clashed, the surprised WindClan quickly taking the first casualties before they began to furiously fight back. Movement caught the corner of his eye, and Harry quickly turned his head to see a kit, frozen in horrified fear, nearby, hidden by a sparse bit of tall grass that had managed to grow in the sand. Hesitating briefly, he hardened his resolve and darted over to the kit, scooping her up and following his nose swiftly to a den. There he found a pair of Elders shivering in its depths, two old toms who were scarred and gray-muzzled, ears pinned and scraggly fur puffed up. They hissed furiously at him, eyes too wide and sides heaving in fear. He quickly set the kit down and nudged her inside.

"Keep her safe," he meowed softly at the hissing pair, and darted back to his fellow Apprentices, helping them pull a few cats out of the camp. Surprise had been on their side for the initial rush, but now the WindClan cats were gaining ground, using their field advantage with extreme prejudice. Harry was close to the battle now, too close for comfort, but when he was about to join his fellow Apprentices on the other side of the tunnel, to help start moving the injured back to their own camp, he saw Moonflower, who had been charged with the destruction of the medicine supply, being attacked. Without a thought, he lunged over and tackled the cat (from the scent of him, the WindClan medicine-cat Hawkheart), and the two of them went sprawling away, the surprisingly nimble medicine-cat managing to get in a few good swipes before Harry struggled free, lungs heaving and eyes wide as he swiftly used a paw and threw sand into the older toms eyes, fleeing the fight as he yowled in pain and pawed at the temporarily blinded orbs. As quickly as he could, he lurched back to the badly injured she-cats side, staying between her and the rest of the slowly dwindling fighters as Pinestar called for a retreat. He nudged the she-cat through the Gorse Tunnel, staying behind to assist where he could, ignoring the injuries he could only vaguely feel, and occasionally blinking blood out of his eyes. He was the last to leave, chased out by a pair of WindClan Warriors, who he had to dodge around when he was forced to go back for a downed ThunderClan cat, all but carrying the lithe Warrior, teeth firmly gripping the older toms scruff as he hurried back toward ThunderClan territory, the pursuing Warriors giving him a bit of room despite their rage until he and his Clanmates were deep into the Neutral Territory and well on their exhausted way back to ThunderClan Camp.

When they finally reached the safety of their woods, Harry could have wept with relief as he crawled through the Gorse Tunnel, injured Warrior in tow and weakly protesting the slightly-rough treatment. Harry found himself hustled towards the medicine-cat's den, his living-burden taken from him and rushed to the other badly-injured cats that were mewling and meowing in pain like a litter just born, Featherwhisker and Goosefeather darting about them with focused intensity. Seeing an escape, Harry slunk away in the hustle and bustle, moving about the camp and softly meowing to the Elders, Queens, and Kits, making sure that nothing had happened while a majority of the Warriors and Apprentices were gone.

A yowl of grief cleared the air, and Harry lifted his head in alarm. He knew his friend's cry, and bowed his head in sympathetic grief and Bluepaw and Snowpaw mourned their mother, who had succumbed to the wounds Hawkheart had given despite Harry's quick assistance. She had had enough time for one last goodbye, before her soul parted from her body, to join those in StarClan. As the day passed, and the ThunderClan medicine supply steadily depleted, the direness of the situation relaxed as Moonflower proved to be the only casualty ThunderClan suffered, though the lithe Warrior Harry had all but carried back, Windtail (a brown tabby tom with a fluffy tail and orange-amber eyes), was forced to retire early due to the loss of his right eye and the crippling of his left front paw.

It was the only good news, really. even though Moonflower _had_ managed to do some damage to WindClan's medicine supply, and they had lost seven Warriors. Harry grieved the lost lives, and felt extremely bitter about the unnessesary battle that had killed one of his close friends parents. That night, when the Clan held its Vigil for Moonflower, Harry sat between Flamesnow and Firebreeze, as far away from Goosefeather as possible, and quietly mourned the death of his friend's mother, a she-cat who had always treated him kindly, and bowed his head, praying to the cats who had passed, that they would take good care of herup in the Silverpelt.

The next day he spent with Willowfur and his old denmates, recovering from a nasty set of claw-wounds on his right side, and a tear in his whole ear, both courtesy of Hawkheart. The three Kits had gone a long way to lifting his spirits, with their play and innocent questions... But then again...

"Come on, Stormpaw!" Woodkit meowed, upset. "I wanna hear about the battle! Tell me about the battle!" Darkkit and Mousekit mewed eagerly as well, the three of them begging, as they had for the past twenty minutes, for the story of the fight, and Harry continued to refuse.

"If you want Battle-tales, go speak to the Elders," he told them bluntly, completely unaffected by their big eyes and pouting whiskers.

"But we've _heard_ all of those!" Darkkit yowled unhappily; Harry frowned as the three of them continued to whine and mew and beg, the once-cute sounds beginning to grate in his ears, until finally he stood.

"No," he told them firmly, before turning and leaving the Nursery, sending an apologetic look to Willowfur where she lay near the entrance, getting some much-deserved rest. She just lifted her whiskers in amusement.

"Why don't you go and get me a nice mouse, Stormpaw," she purred with gentle affection, "and get yourself something as well, and we can share tongues, alright?" Stormpaw nodded slightly and did just that, curling up with his adoptive mother and cleaning her shyly as she smoothly licked his calico colored fur into easy submission.

"Do you know what I thought when I first started taking care of you?" Willowfur meowed suddenly as he licked the scruff of her neck down, but continued without waiting for a response. "I thought 'look at this poor kit, born in ShadowClan and skinnier than the mouse I had at sunrise, with a she-cat's fur and a Warriors heart!' and, as you curled up in your sleep, and purred once you were comfortable, it was like the sound of distant thunder, a herald of things to come. 'This one will change the tide' I thought 'Like the Seasons change the trees around us, he will bring a storm, and a storm he shall be named'. And so, I named you Stormkit, and everyone has assumed that it was because you were found after a storm." Harry hesitated, pulling back and giving her a quietly confused look, making her purr in amusement before licking his forehead affectionately.

"You will do your Clan proud, Stormpaw," she purred, before standing and slipping back into the Nursery to care for her most-likely hungry kits. Harry sat there, staring up into the leaves as they rustled from the wind, the same wind that ruffled his shaggy pelt, green eyes thoughtful.

_I am a storm,_ he thought in the quiet, calm of his mind. _And a storm i shall bring._ With a nod, the Apprentice stood, stretching with a huge yawn, before padding towards the Elders Den to see if any of them needed anything before he lay down for a nap.

**A/N:** Ta-Da~! NEW CHAPTER~!


End file.
